Crate for carrying glass panels

ABSTRACT

A crate for carrying glass panels comprises a longitudinal body frame consisting of a base, opposite side panels and opposite end panels and including supports extending vertically from the base for holding glass panels in the longitudinal direction of the frame. The supports are pivotally mounted to move between a vertical position to receive and hold the glass panels and a horizontal position in which the supports lie over the base once the glass panels have been removed. The side panels are inwardly foldable to rest over the supports once in their horizontal position. The end panels each include an upper end section inwardly foldable to rest over the side panels when folded over the supports and a fixed lower end section which is constructed to contact the end panels of superposed and underposed similarly constructed crates thereby allowing such crates to be vertically stacked when the glass supports, side panels and upper end sections of the end panels are in their folded position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a crate for carryingglass panels, such as the curved glass windshields used in vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Various containers, racks or carriers have been used in the pastfor storing or transporting glass panels such as windshields. Forexample, such apparatuses can be find described in U.S. Pat. No.4,033,597 issued Jul. 5, 1977 to Boyer and U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,064issued Oct. 18, 1988 to Gold. Although the carriers described in thesepatents are aimed to protect the windshields which have a brittle andsomewhat fragile nature for transport or storage, they do not fullyenclose the windshields so that they may still be damaged during theirtransport as well as, in some cases, during their storage.

OBJECTS AND STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide acrate for carrying glass panels which securely contains windshields inan enclosed manner during transport or storage.

[0004] It is also an object of the present invention to provide such acrate which is so constructed that, during transport and storage, theycan be stacked with similarly constructed crates.

[0005] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide sucha glass panel crate which is adaptable to various sizes of glass panels.

[0006] The present invention therefore relates to a crate for carryingglass panels, which comprises

[0007] a longitudinal body frame consisting of a base, opposite sidepanels and opposite end panels; and

[0008] supports extending vertically from the base for holding glasspanels in a longitudinal direction in the frame; the supports beingpivotally mounted to move between a vertical position to receive andhold glass panels and a horizontal position wherein the supports restover the base once the glass panels have been removed from the crate;

[0009] wherein the side panels are inwardly foldable to rest over thesupports in the horizontal position; and

[0010] wherein the end panels each include an upper end section inwardlyfoldable to rest over the side panels when folded over the supports anda fixed lower end section adapted to contact end panels of superposedand underposed similarly constructed crates thereby allowing the cratesto be vertically stacked when the supports, the side panels and theupper end sections are in a folded position.

[0011] In one form of the invention, each side panel is formed of threepanel sections which are hingedly connected to one another and arefoldable in accordion-like manner.

[0012] In another form of the invention, the crate is so constructed asto enable its stacking whether containing glass panels or not.

[0013] Other objects and further scope of applicability of the presentinvention will become apparent from the detailed description givenhereinafter. It should be understood, however, that this detaileddescription, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, isgiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an enclosed crate made inaccordance with the present invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the crate, including glass panels,with one side panel not shown to view the interior of the crate;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 with the glasssupports folded over the base and showing the folding of a side panel;

[0017]FIG. 4 is an illustration of the folding of the side panels;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing two folded crates ready forstacking;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the crate of FIG. 1 with theaddition of a top structure for receiving glass panels of a heightgreater than those which are received in the crate; and

[0020]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6illustrating the anti-closing device.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a crate, generally denoted10, which consists of a longitudinal body frame including a base 12,opposite side panels 14 and 16 and opposite end panels 18 and 20.

[0022] Referring also to FIG. 2 where side panel 14 has been omitted forillustration purposes, the base 12 displays a pair of longitudinallyspaced comb-like supports 22 and 24, each consisting of a series ofvertical posts 26, 28 which are laterally spaced from one another inorder to receive a series of glass panes 30 having a given size andcurvature and extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame. Thetop of the posts 26, 28 are capped with pads 32, 34 to contact andprotect the windshields 30. The lower ends of the posts 26, 28 arerespectively mounted on a common horizontal member 36, 38 having itsrespective opposite ends pivotally mounted to a fixed base member 40, 42so that the support assemblies may be moved from the vertical positionshown to a horizontal position lying parallel to and over the base 12(see FIG. 3).

[0023] The side panel 14 consists of three sections 14 a, 14 b and 14 cwhile the side panel 16 consists of three sections 16 a, 16 b and 16 c.In the closed condition shown in FIG. 1, the two side sections 14 c and16 c lie in a horizontal plane to form the top of the closed container.

[0024] Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, the end panel 18 comprisesa fixed lower end section 44 and an upper end section 46 which ispivotable as explained further hereinbelow. Similarly, the end panel 20consists of a fixed lower end section 48 and a foldable upper endsection 50. The lower end section 44 of end panel 18 includes a pair ofcorner post 52 and 54 while the upper end section 46 has a pair ofcorner posts 56 and 58 in vertical alignment with posts 52 and 54 intheir vertical position shown. Similarly, the lower end section of theend panel 20 includes a pair of corner posts 60 and 62 (see also FIG. 5)while the upper end section 50 has a pair of corner posts 64 and 66 invertical alignment with the lower posts 60 and 62 in their verticalposition.

[0025] L-shaped braces 70 and 72, 74 and 76 fixed to the corners postsof the upper end sections 46 and 50 are pivotally mounted at their lowerend to the base structure of the frame (two pivot points being shown at78 and 80) thus allowing the upper section of the end panels to pivotinto a horizontal position over the folded glass supports 22 and 24 andthe folded side panels as explained below.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the side panels are adapted to befolded in an accordion-like manner about their hinges 82 and 84 so thatthey may lie in a horizontal folded condition over the glass supports 22and 24. In the complete folded condition of the glass supports, the sidepanels and the upper end sections of the end panels, the upperextremities 86, 88, 90 and 92 of the corner posts 52, 54, 60 and 62,extend in a plane somewhat above the plane lying over the upper mostfolded end panel 46.

[0027]FIG. 5 shows that, in the complete folded condition, the crate 12may receive, in a stacked manner, a similarly constructed crate 12′ in afolded condition where the corner posts 52, 54, 60 and 62 are invertical alignment with the corner posts 52′, 54′, 60′ and 62′ of thesuperposed crate 12′.

[0028] Crates can be stacked in a glass containing condition such asillustrated in FIG. 1 where the upper extremities 94, 96, 98 and 100 ofthe corner posts of the upper end section of the end panels 46 and 50may contact the lower extremities of the corner posts 52, 54 and 60 and62 of a superposed crate whether in a folded condition or in an enclosedcondition such as shown in FIG. 1.

[0029] A series of braces (four being shown as 102, 104, 106, 108) arefixedly secured in pairs to the lower extension of each corner post.They are L-shaped and define with the base of the frame and the postapertures to enable the fork of a fork-lift truck to engage the framefor handling and storing. These braces also serve to provide the exactalignment of corner posts of two superposed crates when in a stackedcondition.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 6, a box-like structure, generally denoted 110,is provided to rest on the crate 12 in cases where the glass panels areof a height greater than those usually contained in crate 12. Thebox-like structure 110 comprises a top 112, a pair of opposite sidepanels 114 and 116 and a pair of opposite end panels 118 and 120. Thisstructure has four corner posts 122, 124, 126 and 128 which are adaptedto engage the upper extremities of the corner posts 56, 58, 64 and 66 ofthe crate 12. For such installation, it is evident that the two upperside panels 14 c and 16 c of the lower crate 12 must be removed.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 7, there is provided a device 200, 202 on eachopposite end panel 18, 20 for preventing the respective upper endsections 46 and 50 from folding inwardly in certain situations. Eachdevice 200, 202 consists of a flat bar 204, 206 which is fixedlyattached to the lower end portion 44, 48 (see also FIG. 5) and whichhas, at its upper end a finger 208, 210 which can be moved outwardly(due to the flexibility of the bar) to engage or disengage from a loweredge 212, 214 of the upper end portions 46 and 50 of the end panels.

[0032] Although the invention has been described above with respect toone specific form, it will be evident to a person skilled in the artthat it may be modified and refined in various ways. It is thereforewished to have it understood that the present invention should not belimited in scope, except by the terms of the following claims.

1. A crate for carrying glass panels comprising: a longitudinal bodyframe consisting of a base, opposite side panels and opposite endpanels; and supports extending vertically from said base for holdingglass panels in a longitudinal direction in said frame; said supportsbeing pivotally mounted to move between a vertical position to receiveand hold glass panels and a horizontal position wherein said supportsrest over said base once said glass panels have been removed from saidcrate; wherein said side panels are inwardly foldable to rest over saidsupports in said horizontal position; and wherein said end panels eachinclude an upper end section inwardly foldable to rest over said sidepanels when folded over said supports and a fixed lower end sectionadapted to contact end panels of superposed and underposed similarlyconstructed crates thereby allowing said crates to be vertically stackedwhen said supports, said side panels and said upper end sections are ina folded position.
 2. A crate as defined in claim 1, wherein each saidside panel includes an upper panel section which extends horizontallyparallel to said base to form a top cover for said crate.
 3. A crate asdefined in claim 1, wherein each said side panel is formed of threepanels sections hingedly connected to one another and being foldable inaccordion-like manner.
 4. A crate as defined in claim 1, wherein eachupper end section of said end panel includes a pair of corner posts andeach lower end section of said end panel includes a pair of corner postsin respective vertical alignment, when in a vertical position, with saidcorner posts of said upper end section.
 5. A crate as defined in claim4, wherein each said corner post of said upper end section of said endpanels has an upper extremity adapted to support a lower extremity of acorner post of a fixed lower end section of a superposed stackedsimilarly constructed crate.
 6. A crate as defined in claim 4, whereineach said corner post of said fixed lower section of said end panel hasan upper extremity adapted to support a lower extremity of a corner postof a fixed lower end section of a superposed similarly constructed cratewhen said supports, said side panels and said upper end sections of saidend panels are in a folded position.
 7. A crate as defined in claim 4,further comprising a box-like structure having a top, opposite sides andopposite ends and including corner posts engageable with the upperextremities of corner posts of said upper section of said end panels toenable storage of glass panels of greater height than that of glasspanels in said crate.
 8. A crate as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsupports consist of a pair of comb-like members spaced longitudinallyalong said base.
 9. A crate as defined in claim 1, further comprisingmeans to prevent said upper end sections from accidentally folding. 10.A crate as defined in claim 9, wherein said means consists of a flat barfixedly mounted to said lower end sections and including a fingeradapted to engage a ridge on said upper end section.